Iran

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has offered "heartfelt gratitude" to Iranian authorities for allowing tens of thousands of female fans to attend a top-flight soccer match between Sepahan and Persepolis this week.

France brushed off allegations of match-fixing after their 4-1 defeat by Iran sent them into a softer part of the draw at the Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan.

From the Japanese juggernaut to numerical deficits not mattering, here's what we learnt from the third round of Asian qualifiers.

There is plenty to look forward to as the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup begins on Thursday.

18 teams are still in the hunt to reach the World Cup as the third round of Asian qualifiers kick off on Thursday.

Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia will renew their respective rivalries in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers.

With the second round of the Asian qualifiers completed, 18 teams are still in the hunt to reach the World Cup.

South Korea dropped points in a draw against Thailand but still maintained their Group C lead after China failed to capitalize.

After a four-month hiatus, the second round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup returns this week -- and there's plenty to keep a close eye on.

The 2023 Asian Cup has shown that the gap between Asia's elite and the second tier has closed, and that could have a significant flow-on effect at the 2026 World Cup.